Handling apparatus



April 8, 1969 s. w. GEALY HANDLING APPARATUS Sheet of2 Filed April 26/1967 aw. mm w ATTORNEYS April 8, 1969 s. w. GEALY- HANDLING APPARATUS Sheet Filed April 26, 1967 SM/Tl/ m 0,540

WKrR Zwm ATTORNEXS' United States Patent 3,437,369 HANDLING APPARATUS Smith W. Gealy, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to PPG Industries, Inc., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Apr. 26, 1967, Ser. No. 633,869 Int. Cl. B66c 1/32 U.S. Cl. 294-78 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to an apparatus for transporting sheets of glass which are packaged in crate-like packages. The handling apparatus is designed so that the pressure resulting from lifting the package causes handling members to close in upon and grasp the package, and also supporting portions of the package at the same time, insuring that the relationship between the handling apparatus and the package is positive and free of any slippage.

An understanding of the invention may be obtained by referring to the accompanying drawing in which FIG- URE 1 is a perspective view of the handling apparatus; FIGURE 2 is an end view of FIGURE 1, showing the handling apparatus in an opened position; FIGURE 3 is an end view of FIGURE 1 showing the handling apparatus in a contacting position, engaged with the top of a package.

Two support members, and 11, are crossed and pivoted about a pivot pin 14. A rod 21 is positioned at the end of supporting members 10.

A wire rope 15, or other suitable material is run from a ring 16 through two of the pulleys on the same end of two supporting members and back to the ring. A similar arrangement is employed in looping the cable through the pulleys on the other end of the supporting member. A channel is welded or otherwise fastened to a rod 21 which is pivotally attached through the supporting member 10.

Each rod 21 is positioned to the supporting member by a pivot hearing or bushing 13. An anchor bracket 17 is welded to the supporting members near each end. A sheave, a pulley 19 is attached to each anchor 17.

It can be seen from FIGURE 2 that when the handling apparatus is in an uncontacted position the supporting members are pivoted so that a distance exists between the supporting channels. In FIGURE 3, the lifting force has been applied to the ring and the wire rope has drawn the channels in contact with the package to be supported. The package has a crown or strip which encloses the packaged material, such as glass, which is here shown packaged between suitable material paper. As shown in FIGURE 3 when the handling device is engaged with the package, a pair of channels 20 are positioned underneath the crown of the package and in a pressure contact with the sides of the package providing both a vector of pressure in opposed directions and also a vector of support beneath the crown of the such as corrugated 3,437,369 Patented Apr. 8, 1969 package by flange 22 and 23. The apparatus engages the supporting frame of the package and insuring that such engagement continues without friction.

A channel 20 has two faces 22, and 23, the face 22 is in compression contact with the package when it is being transferred.

A package to be transported is positioned between oppositely opposed channels as shown in FIGURE 2. The wire rope is tightened as a lifting force is applied. The supporting members 10 are pivoted about the pivot pin 14.

The upwardly directed force, as shown in FIGURE 3, causes the supporting members to be drawn into closer relationship exerting both an inward force and an upward force on the crown of the package. As the supporting hook or crane is raised, the chain or loop through the pulleys is tightened exerting a force on the pulleys which is transmitted to the supporting members. As the hook is continued to be raised the supporting members are drawn inwardly toward each other by the force exerted along the line of the wire connecting the two pulleys or sheaves. The material to be packaged is grasped within the channels and the channels are closed about the package crown 24. When the channel is in engagement therewith it is then in a slip-free contacted position.

Suitable stops may be employed to insure that the maximum pressure exerted on the glass package is not sufiicient to damage the package. The positioning of these stops is a matter of individual adjustment in each package to be lifted.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for lifting pallets of sheet material comprising:

(a) two support members in pivotal relationship;

(b) a pivot pin connecting said support members;

(c) a rod rotatably attached to each support member near each end thereof;

(d) a channel positioned on each rod and disposed substantially horizontally for engagement with portions of said pallet;

(e) an anchor bracket positioned near each end of each support member;

(f) a pulley movably connected to each anchor bracket;

(g) a flexible cable looped through a pulley on one end of each support member; and,

(h) connecting means, each flexible cable being attached to said connecting means forming a loop through said two pulleys.

References Cited 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 529,840 11/1894 Roesen.

596,908 1/1898 ONeill 294-78 802,815 10/ 1905 Lau 294-78 2,789,858 4/1957 Kughler 294-78 3,099,476 7/ 1963 Miller 294-113 3,352,591 11/ 1967 Casey 294- EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner. H. C. HORNSBY, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 294-90, 111, 113, 118 

